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SPOTLIGHT ON PI3-KINASE
Cell-signaling pathway on
verge of clinical trials
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For more than
two decades, DF/HCC laboratory researchers have been homing in on a
signaling
network that genes and cells use to talk to each other — the
phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. This signaling pathway
relates to a
wide range of disease-based solid tumors: breast, colon, glioma,
melanoma, prostate, ovarian, head and neck. It is an opportune pathway
for
pharmaceutical intervention in cancer, offering a target for drug
companies to develop inhibitors. Cancer medicine is now at the cusp of
an exciting
new era as these findings evolve into clinical studies using “smart”
drugs that target specific elements in the pathway. Among
scientists leading this effort are Lewis Cantley, PhD, chief of the
BIDMC Division of Signal Transduction and DF/HCC deputy associate
director of
Basic Science, and Thomas Roberts, PhD, chair of the DFCI Department of
Cancer Biology. Together, they discovered the PI3K enzyme and its role
in
cancer in the mid-1980s.The PI3K pathway is now known as a key player
in cancer and is being studied from every angle by research teams
around the
globe. Within DF/HCC, intense research efforts are underway — including
several collaborative NCI program project grants in solid tumors
involving the PI3K pathway. more
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FOCI OF CANCER RESEARCH
MGH
Cancer Center at forefront of cancer
research |
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 In just 15 years since its formal inception, the Massachusetts
General
Hospital Cancer Center has
evolved into an international leader in cancer research and care. At
the core of this expanding enterprise is a passionate group of
specialists who
integrate their work across the "super-city" of MGH, renowned worldwide
for medical innovation and excellence in care. "We aim to treat the
patient
as a whole, providing on-site access to the various specialists
required to treat and support cancer patients,"
says center director Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, who also heads the Cancer
Genetics Program at DF/HCC. "We actively reach out to the rich
environment
that is so extraordinary at MGH, from the medical, surgical, radiation
and pediatric oncologists who form the core of cancer care, to the
experts in
neurology, endocrinology, orthopedics, radiology, psychiatry and all
the other superb hospital disciplines. Likewise in basic research,
investigators
in our Center for Cancer Research can interact with the scientists in
other MGH departments, from Molecular Biology, Molecular Imaging, and
Bioengineering to the newly created Thematic Centers in Genetics,
Regenerative (Stem Cell) Medicine, Computational Biology, Photobiology
and Systems
Biology." more
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MORE ON CORES
Access custom SNP genotyping
via web-based system
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With several years’
operational experience, the Harvard-Partners Center for Genetics and
Genomics offers high-quality custom SNP genotyping and is now
designated as a high throughput genotyping facility for DF/HCC
investigators. Among
services: DNA isolation from cheek cells and WGA, custom primer and
assay design through production of genotypes, including assistance with
SNP
selection and choice of platform, selection based on the sample number
and SNPs to be targeted. Steps involved are highly automated and
tracked via a
laboratory management system with bar coding. Each project is priced
independently, and a quote can be generated quickly for any
investigator.
Results
are provided in electronic format via our web-based order-entry system,
GIGPAD. Platforms for up to 10,000 genomic DNA samples include Taqman,
Sequenom hME and iPLEX, Illumina GoldenGate Custom and Standard Panels,
and Affymetrix SNP
Arrays. For
more information, please visit our website or contact Alison Brown at (617) 768-8470, Hardeep
Ranu
(Taqman Genotyping) at (617) 432 4469 or Vance Morgan
(617) 768-8518.
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Optimize clinical studies with
tumor imaging analysis
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“For accurate and
timely analysis of CT, MR and PET imaging studies, we invite DF/HCC
investigators to use the Tumor Imaging Metrics
Core (TIMC),” says core
manager Bill Hanlon (in photo at right with image analyst Vaibhav
Sahai, MD, left). “Our team provides consistent, standardized,
longitudinal radiological measurements for clinical trials; also
protocol
consultation to assist with optimizing the trial design of image
analysis methods.” Standardized measurements include linear (RECIST,
WHO,
Cheson), volumetric and Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) for PET scans —
all reviewed by Harvard faculty radiologists. Results of analyses are
stored in the TIMC database and available for viewing or downloading by
authorized trial staff on a secure website. Radiology exams are
transferred
from DF/HCC institutions' Picture Archiving and Communications Systems
(PACS) to the TIMC for processing and storage.
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Enhance your research with
dynamic surveys
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Do you want to include
a behavioral or psychosocial component to your research? Need help with
survey
design
or implementation? Would your grant application benefit by adding a
quality-of-life outcome measure? The Survey and Measurement Core (SMC)
can
help. “We have nearly 100 measures commonly used by cancer researchers,
and we’re always updating,” says SMC director Laura
Kubzansky, PhD, MPH. In addition, the SMC assists with survey
development and implementation, grant preparation and IRB applications,
interviewer
training and focus-group research. "The SMC’s services were essential
to the preparation of my NIH grant, filling a fundamental gap in
expertise required to perform the proposed research,” says Lisa
Iezzoni, MD, MSc (BIDMC). Among advantages of working with the SMC is
their customized approach. “If a client cannot find an appropriate
tool, we can work with them to design and test their own survey,”
says core manager Virginia Casey, PhD, MPH.
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NODES AND SYNERGIES
New tailored-information tool
for cancer patients
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A dynamic interactive
website is being developed for cancer patients and their families. “It
will address an unmet need of cancer patients and their families to get
accurate and useable information about diagnosis and treatment options,
allowing them to participate more actively with their clinicians in the
treatment decision-making process,” says project director Thomas
Keegan, PhD (HMS). An initiative of Cancer Care in Massachusetts (see
related story, this issue), the project is titled the Tailored Information Project.
It is a
collaboration of the HMS Department of Health Care Policy, the National
Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), the TRICARE health insurance
program for
military personnel and their families, and Westat, a firm that provides
survey research, healthcare information technology and policy analysis.
Based
on NCCN guidelines, the website will be tailored to the user’s specific
characteristics such as age, cancer stage and prior treatment. Initial
pilot testing of this tool is planned for a U.S. army medical center
this fall. For more information, contact keegan@hcp.med.harvard.edu. |
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Pipeline series showcases
up-and-coming cancer drugs
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The “Pipelines
in Oncology” series is a unique forum for DF/HCC faculty and the
extended Harvard medical community to learn about promising projects
and products in the oncology pipeline of the pharmaceutical/biotech
industry.
“By developing closer working relationships with these companies, the
drug discovery and development process clearly benefits,” says
clinical research program manager Petra Loesch, MS (MGH). At the
seminars, companies present their rationale for choosing new clinical
candidates and
the pre-clinical or early clinical background data on anti-tumor
activity, pharmacokinetics and toxicity. One-on-one discussions with
DF/HCC
investigators provide an opportunity to capitalize on ideas for
cutting-edge clinical studies. Also, during an informal luncheon,
postdoctoral
research and clinical fellows discuss research and drug development,
network with company leaders and learn about industry careers. Since
the
series’ inception in 2005, presenting firms include GlaxoSmithKline,
Sanofi Aventis, Wyeth, Kosan Biosciences, Eli Lilly, Biogen Idec,
Abraxis
Bioscience, AstraZeneca, Millenium and Bristol-Myers Squibb. For more
information, contact ploesch@partners.org.
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DF/HCC launches new and
improved website
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Built
primarily by
and for Harvard’s cancer researchers, DF/HCC’s newly
launched website has many new features and benefits. A regularly
updated
Funding Support Center apprises members of grant opportunities
and provides tools for navigating through and succeeding in the
complicated
world of grants procurement. Other user-friendly tools
help members, share success stories, post
announcements and create a vibrant online community with DF/HCC
colleagues. A powerful search engine allows users to quickly find news,
services, and
information. The
site also facilitates networking across all seven institutions by
providing organization charts, individual contact information,
meeting locations, event listings, institutional maps and
transportation guides. Secure areas for members include
DF/’HCC-specific grant information, mentoring opportunities,
clinical research policies and protocols, industry liaisons, and
specific areas of scientific interest. To register for secure
areas, visit the home page http://www.dfhcc.harvard.edu/ and click “register for an
account.”
We welcome your questions and feedback, directed to DFHCC
Webmaster. |
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SAVE THE
DATE
DF/HCC "Pipelines in
Oncology"
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Note: These presentations are designated for DF/HCC members only.
September 21
Genzyme
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Haber Room, MGH (videoconference to Dana 1620, DFCI)
October 19
Pfizer
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Dana 1620, DFCI (videoconference to Haber Room, MGH)
November 16
Genentech
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Haber Room, MGH (videoconference to Dana 1620, DFCI)
December 19
Novartis
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Dana 1620, DFCI (videoconference to Haber Room, MGH)
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NEWS AND
EVENTS
Brugge in top 9 women in
cancer research
In concert with the American
Cancer Society, PINK magazine’s
June/July
edition has named Joan Brugge, PhD, chair of Cell Biology at HMS, one of the top nine women in cancer research. A member of the DF/HCC
Breast
Cancer
and Cancer Cell Biology programs, Brugge’s research is focused on identifying genes that regulate the initiation
and progression of breast cancer. Her research includes the use of a cell culture model in which cells organize into structures
resembling the small gland-like units of the human breast. She is working with Joshua
Labaer’s group in the Harvard Institute of Proteomics (HIP) to assemble and evaluate more than 1,000
human
genes associated
with breast cancer, now publicly available for cancer
researchers.
Workshop wrestles with cancer
disparities
About 60 participants attended a full-day DF/HCC workshop titled
“Diversity, Disparities and Research Design: Concerns for all Cancer Researchers,” presented June 20 by the Cancer Disparities
Program-in-Development.
"Keynote speaker was Olufunmilayo Olopade, MD, director of the Center
for
Clinical Cancer Genetics at the University of Chicago Medical Center, a
leader in translating basic research into clinical practice to serve
African
and African-American women at risk for, or diagnosed with, breast
cancer. DF/HCC members Matthew Freedman, MD (MGH), Nancy Krieger, PhD
(HSPH), and
Lowell Schnipper, MD (BIDMC) [in photo at right] led discussions about
understanding cancer disparities.
Ayanian joins leadership of Cancer Care in
Massachusetts
John Ayanian, MD, has joined DF/HCC’s Cancer Care in Massachusetts (CAMA)
project, working as
co-principal investigator
with Jane Weeks, MD. The CAMA project focuses on identifying barriers
to high-quality care, developing systems for more efficient and timely
data on
cancer care quality, and providing better information to physicians and
patients to assist in treatment decision-making (see related article, this issue).
Ayanian’s research focuses on the effect
of
patients’ race, ethnicity, gender, insurance coverage and socioeconomic
factors on access to care and clinical outcomes; also the impact of
physicians’ specialty and organizational characteristics on the quality
of care. He is a principal investigator in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and
Surveillance
(CanCORS) Consortium.
Kaelin honored at AACR
meeting
In recognition of his world-class accomplishments in cancer research, William G.
Kaelin Jr., MD (DFCI/BWH), leader of the DF/HCC Cancer Cell Biology Program, received the prestigious Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation
Award at
the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held
in April. The
award honors researchers who have made notable contributions to
improved clinical care in the field of cancer. Kaelin was cited for his
discoveries
relating to the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL), work
that is laying the foundation for novel anticancer strategies.
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DISCOVERIES
NOW
For details, click on links.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
New robotic tool for precision in cancer
radiation
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Vaccine for human papiloma virus, cervical cancer
Children’s Hospital
Boston
Innovative model for studying a deadly brain
cancer
Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute
Scientists tie several cancers to common "oncogene engine"
Harvard Medical School
Folkman wins 18th Annual Warren Alpert Foundation
Prize
Harvard School of Public Health
Four factors you may not know in skin cancer risk
Massachusetts General Hospital
New diagnostics and treatment strategies for lung
cancer
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NEW
FACES
Forty-four new members join
DF/HCC community
Since April, 44 iindividuals from our seven members institutions and academic partners have
joined DF/HCC —
bringing a
wide of expertise to the effort to conquer cancer. To view their names, program affiliations and their areas of expertise, click
here.
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